Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah visited long-term absentees John Mensah and Anthony Annan showing that he is considering the duo in his final squad for the 2014 World Cup.

The Black Stars boss has been touring Europe monitoring key players for the World Cup but it has now emerged that he visited the two players in their bases in Slovakia and Germany respectively.

Annan has not played for the Black Stars since the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa but he is reviving himself at Schalke as he has played some few matches for the German side.

Mensah is also reviving his career with Nitra FC as he has struggled to gain his fitness since playing for the Black Stars at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

“The coach visited the likes of Anthony Annan and John Mensah at their clubs to talk to officials and the players about a lot of things to be sure all areas are covered,” Ghana FA president Kwesi Nyantakyi told Montie FM on Saturday morning.

Annan and Mensah could make the final squad if they maintain their fitness with Ghana set to name their preliminary squad by 13 May.

Ghana will play United States, Germany and Portugal in the Group of Death at the tournament in Brazil in June.

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READERS COMMENTS

This will be catastrophique if the duo are able to make the squad because i wonder what extraordinary form these two will be able to pull in this few months to merit call up into the BS. Annan has lack playing time for over a year and have lost his form drastically and John mensah on the other hand in my opinion i will say is no go area. As AA himself has said, he does not want to discriminate i guess that is why he visited but it is not to say he wants to call them. Call them to where and for what?

Nothing can replace an experience. There are great strikers in Ghana’s group, any inexperience defending will cost us many cards, free-kicks and penalties. You remember Jonathan Mensah against USA, Akaminko against DRC and Sumaila against Egypt?

John Mensah is a stalwart player but has lost form long time ago. Though he has some experience I strongly believe his inclusion will be a doom for the stars. What we need in the defense is height, strength and discipline. If there is one player I would miss in this tournament, it’s Isaac Vorsah. I don’t know his fitness level but we need his height. Other than that, the coach should go after our stalwart defender from the local black star team. Who excel in the local African cup of Nations. Anthony Annan’s behavior on the pitch is a no go area. That bring to my attention, our players attitude on the field. In order to win referees and linesmen heart, they have to endure pain and be respectful. No throwing of shoulders and insults to such officials. In such tournaments those officials can help you loose games. So our technical team should train our boys to fully respect those officials and that will take us places.

oh, please ask again. i argued with you a while back on john mensah, but sometimes just the mere presence of certain players and their experience energizes a team… they don’t have to start… after all, who will they depose in the current setup?

In fact. If these two players are not fully fit then they have nothing doing in the team because we need fully fit and ready players to do the job. The players are professionals they dont need to see John mensah before they can play well. Our players are doing well in europe with the same players they will be facing at the world cup so why the fear. No injury prone players for Ghana period.